MRS. EDITH MANBY, of Codsall, Staffordshire, completed, on New Year's Day 1936, a work which she began in April, 1935, of knitting woollen scarf-helmets for the life-boat crews round our coasts. Mrs. Manby had the help of 491 knitters and sub- scribers, and the work cost £250, of which she herself contributed over £100. As the scarf helmets were finished they were sent to the coast, and at many stations special presentation ceremonies were arranged.

What an enormous piece of work Mrs. Manby and her helpers have brought to a successful end the fol- lowing figures will show : The number of scarves knitted was 1,525. They were each nearly two yards long, so that, if laid end to end, they would stretch over 3,000 yards or nearly a mile and three-quarters.

The wool used weighed over half a hundredweight, and was 580,850 yards, or over 330 miles, long.

Over 60,400 pieces of fringe were used and over 4,550 initials were worked on the scarves.The actual hours of work were 15,250, or twenty-one and a half months of continuous work.

At the end of the work Mrs. Manby presented an album of photographs of the crews wearing the scarves to the King, Patron of the Institution. The King thanked her for her kind thought, and expressed his appreciation of all that she had done for the life-boatmen.

To show its appreciation the Institu- tion has awarded to Mrs. Manby its gold badge, which is given only for distinguished honorary services. Mrs.

Manby is a relative of Captain G. W.

Manby, who, in 1825, and again in 1830, was awarded the gold medal of the Institution for his inventions for saving life from shipwreck.

Mrs. Manby has asked us to say that when new scarves are needed she hopes the honorary secretaries of life-boat stations will be able to get local ladies to knit them, and that the wool, dyed a special colour, can be obtained from the Scotch Wool and Hosiery Stores, Queen Square, Wolverhampton, who will allow a 10 per cent discount.

This article would not be complete without mention of the other ladies, un- connected with Mrs. Manby, who also help the Institution with gifts of scarves and occasionally mittens and gloves. One of them, Miss Susan M.

Jepson, of London, was awarded the Institution's record of thanks three years ago. She has now been knitting regularly for it for well over ten years..